Team Robertsons Braai-B-Que to take on the world in the USA

Team Robertsons Braai-B-Que will be representing South Africa in the United States of America (USA) as they take on the best American style barbecue teams from across the globe. The SA team will be competing at the worlds’ biggest barbecue (BBQ) competition, the American Royal World Series of Barbecue from the 26th-30th October 2016 in the city of Kansas.

Following on from the Kansas contest, the second leg of the trip sees the team trekking 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) to smoke things up in the state of Alabama where the prestigious World Food Championship takes place between 9th – 15th November.

The team will take on an extended road trip in a camper, commonly referred to as a RV in the US. This allows team captain Braaiboy to braai every day while on tour – something he has done every day (with documented proof) since 2009. Braaiboy has also held a Guinness World Record for the ‘longest continuous braai’.

The four-man team are highly experienced and sure to make an impression at both US based competitions. Chief cook, ‘Borries’ and team captain ‘Braaiboy’ will be joined by John Grundlingh and Piet Marais who last year won the internationally acclaimed 4th Season of Ultimate Braaimaster when the team competed as ‘Weskus Annas’.

Says Braaiboy: “This is the fourth time that we have been invited to compete in the most prestigious BBQ competitions in the USA, and we look forward to proudly representing South Africa yet again. We will be testing our skills against the world’s best, and we are extremely thankful to Robertsons for the generous support and sponsorship afforded to the team, without which this trip would not be possible.”

The competitions are based on the southern United States style of BBQ. This entails smoking various cuts of meat and chicken in a method commonly known as ‘low and slow’. Four categories of meat are always prepared at the various competitions, namely: Beef Brisket, Pork Shoulder, Ribs and Chicken. There are some variations to the norm. The American Royal for instance includes a Sausage category. Team Robertsons Braai-B-Que will be preparing traditional South African boerewors in this category for the discerning and demanding judges.

In 2013, team Braai-B-Que travelled 2,000 miles (3,200km) across the United States on Route 66 as they made their way from the Jack Daniels World Barbecue Invitational (The Jack) in Lynchburg, Tennessee through to Las Vegas where the World Food Championships were held that year.

Accolades for the team from previous trips to the USA include being awarded Happiest Home in the Hollow and second place winners in the Home Cooking category of The Jack. The team was also given Keys to the City in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee.

“This is the pinnacle of competitiveness, with the judges basing their decisions purely on the taste and quality of the final product. There is no space for error, and no space for fancy plating, sides and garnishes. It’s simply a few slices of meat on a plate, following a long preparation and smoking period of 12 hours or more. We’ve gained substantial experience over the years, and we’re looking forward to taking on the best the world has to offer,” says Chief Cook Borries.

In final preparation for the trip, the team will hold a ‘BBQ smoking bootcamp’ in Alberton from the 16th-19th October and are scheduled to leave for the USA on the 20th.

While in the USA, the team will be uploading video content to their website www.braaibque.co.za every second day. They will also be broadcasting on Facebook Live, allowing South Africans to experience the trip and competitions in real-time.

“We’re representing the country and want everyone to be able to enjoy and experience it with us. We’re competing, but a ‘braai’ is a social event, and we want everyone to be part of it,” concludes Braaiboy.